A Tapping at My Door: A Gripping Serial Killer Thriller (The DS Nathan Cody Series) Read Online Free Page B

Issue . She is short, but probably not as stocky as her many layers of clothing make it appear. Cody suspects she would never win saleswoman of the year with her timid, mumbling technique. He decides that, when his own stint here is over, he will donate to her the money he has been given.
    His gaze shifts up the street. Between him and St Luke’s Church at the far end lies an eclectic mix of cafes, coffee houses, art shops and clothing retailers. He has always liked this part of town. He can almost picture a time when the length of Bold Street was employed as a standard measure for ships’ ropes, and the surrounding buildings were being erected to house the rich merchants.
    He is well aware that the city has its problems, just like any other. A few minutes of travel in almost any direction from the town centre and its tourist attractions leads to areas of dilapidation, decay and poverty. Toxteth, infamous for the rioting of the eighties, is not far from here. Unlike many other cities, though, Liverpool has long been looked down upon, certainly by politicians and the media, and usually by those who have never visited the place. Its people have often been the subject of cruel stereotype, spectacular prejudice, and ill-considered attempts at humour.
    Things are changing, though, and rapidly. Following decades of stagnation, the city is being transformed. Money is pouring in. The docklands and shopping areas have been regenerated and revitalised. Liverpool has always had its history and its architecture and its football and the Beatles. But now there is a Debenhams and a Hilton, too. New restaurants and bars are popping up everywhere. Tourists are flocking here like never before.
    And what all this brings to the inhabitants of Liverpool is a growing sense of optimism. Despite all the dirt and decay that may still lie on the outskirts, the people can look towards the shiny-bright heart of their city with pride, and with hope that some of the prosperity will trickle their way. But whether that happens or not, it will never deter them from the mission that seems to be written into their genes to make this the friendliest and most welcoming city in the land.
    Cody sees and feels this as he looks around now.
    But what he doesn’t see is what he came here for.
    He spends a minute deciding what to play next. Opts for ‘Eleanor Rigby’. Gets all the way to the end without making a penny. But then two teenage girls stop in their tracks and smile at him. He smiles back.
    ‘What was that?’ one of them asks.
    ‘You don’t know it?’ he says.
    ‘If I did, I wouldn’t be asking.’
    The cheekiness amuses him. ‘It’s by the Beatles. You’ve heard of them, right?’
    ‘’Course. I’m not thick. My granddad is always going on about them. Says he saw them at the Cavern before they were even famous.’
    ‘He’s a lucky man. Wish I’d been there.’
    ‘Do you know anything modern?’
    ‘Like what?’
    She shrugs. ‘I dunno. Something by Beyoncé or Ed Sheeran?’
    Cody scratches the stubble on his chin. ‘How about “Single Ladies”?’
    Her eyes light up. ‘You can play that?’
    ‘No. I can do the dance, though, if you want to see that.’
    The girls look at each other and giggle. The one who so far hasn’t spoken feels emboldened enough to put a question of her own.
    ‘Ever thought of auditioning for X Factor ?’
    A presence. Behind the girls. Cody permits his eyes a swift glance, but doesn’t allow them to linger.
    He sees a tall man in a long grey overcoat and a beanie, but his view past the girls isn’t great.
    ‘Think I’m good enough?’ he asks the girls.
    ‘I’ve seen worse. Who knows? It could make you famous.’
    Cody sees the man take a step forward, as if he’s just curious to know what’s being discussed, or perhaps waiting to hear a song.
    Not yet, thinks Cody. Give him the benefit of the doubt.
    ‘If I get famous, will you come and see me on stage?’
    ‘Yeah, deffo. You better get learning